Owners, Appraisers Disagree on Home Values

Homeowners feel like their homes are worth more than what appraisers say they are, and the gap between the two estimated values has grown for the sixth consecutive month, according to Quicken Loans’ National Home Price Perception Index.
Read more: Owners, Appraisers Aren't Seeing Eye-to-Eye
Appraised values were, on average, 1.93 percent lower than what homeowners expected, according to the index. Appraisals are drifting farther from owner estimates, even though their assessments continue to rise higher each month, the index shows.
“It’s important for consumers to see the HPPI and not only think about the difference in perceptions, but the different perceptions across the country,” says Bill Banfield, Quicken Loans executive vice president of capital markets. “Home values, and home value changes, vary widely depending on the city you’re in. Homeowners, and those looking to buy a home, should keep a close eye on their local market to better understand home values in their area.”
For example, in Denver and Dallas appraisals are nearly 3 percent higher than what homeowners expect. On the other hand, in Philadelphia and Baltimore appraised values are more than 3 percent lower than what owners estimate.